Method of and means for making tubes of celluloid and the like



- June 3, 1930.

S. A. NE|DICH METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING TUBES OF CELLULOID AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 2, l929 FIG] FJGE

atented June 3, 1930 SAMUEL A. NEIDICH, OF EDGEWATE-R PARK, NEW JERSEY METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR MAKING TUBES OF CELLULOID AND THE LIKE Application filed January 2, 1929. Serial No. 329,724.

My'invention may be employed with particular advantage in the manufacture of tubes for fountain pens and similar writing implements, from cellulose products such as celluloid, cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, or any suitable substance, by rolling thin sheets of such material, in evolute form, with the convolutions thereof in contact with each other, while moistened with a suitable solvent.

For instance, acetone is a suitable solvent for celluloid and cellulose nitrate, and ethyl acetate, or a mixture of alcohol and ether for cellulose acetate.

It has been roposed to effect such rolling operation while the sheet of the cellulose product is maintained submerged in the solvent. However, such a method of manu facture is extremely wasteful in that a largepercentage of the sheet material is dissolved 0d into the solvent bath. As the celluloid from which such articles are formed costs as much as $2.50 per sheet (.010 x 20" x 50") it is obvious that such loss is veryimportant as far as such raw material is concorned. Moreover, the cellulose product thus dissolved into the bath instantly and progres sively deprives the latter of its initial efficiency, so that it can be used for notmore than five minutes in making tubes at the rate of 39 four per minute, and, then, mustbe renewed or purified to restore the efficiency required for the operation.

Therefore, the purpose and effect of this invention is to provide a method and means for making tubes of celluloid and the like by rolling sheets of such material without submerging them in a bath of the solvent but whlle sufficiently moistening their contiguous sur- 9 faces with a supply of the solvent which is barely sufficient for that purpose and is applied directly to the meeting surfaces as they are rolled together the surplus solvent flowing off where it may be gathered-and puritied before being used a second time.

My invention includes the various novel features of procedure and apparatus hereinafter more definitely specified.

In said drawings; Fig. I is a transverse sec tional view of a machine for forming cylindrical tubes by rolling a primarily plane sheet of the cellulose product.

Fig. I1 is a longitudinal sectional view of .said machine, taken on the line H, II in Fig. I.

In said drawings; the power shaft 1 is common to a series of such machines and is pro vided with driving gears 2 at suitable intervals for engagement with respective driven gears 3 of such machines.

Such a driven gear 3 is mounted upon a shaft 5 of a rotary head stock 6. Said shaft is journaled in the bearing 7 in the frame 8 which is rigidly connected with the base of the container 9. Said shaft 7 is in axial alinement with the shaft 10 of the tail stock 11 which is mounted to axially reciprocate in the bearing 12 in the frame 13 which is also rigidly connected with the base of said container 9. Said tail stock 11 is normally thrust toward the head stock 6 by the spring 15 encircling said shaft 10 between said tail stock 11 and said bearing 12, and said shaft 10 has the knob 16 fixed thereon bywhich said tail stock may be withdrawn to receive the left hand end of the mandrel 18, the opposite end of which is flattened to fit in the slot 19 in said head stock 6, by which it is rotated.

A series of such mandrels 18 are respectively provided with individual sheets 21 of celluloid or the like which are stuck thereon, conveniently by wetting one end thereof with a' solvent and pressing the sheet upon the mandrel until it adheres. In the position in. which the mandrel is inserted between said stocks 6 and 11, the sheet 21 extends upwardly, as indicated in Fig. I, forming a trough 22 at its junction with the mandrel, 18, adapted to receive solvent which is permitted to flow down the felt or similar wick fabric 24 from the supply pipe 25; the latter being perforated as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. I, and conveniently rigidly supported in the bearing 26 on said frame 13.v In order to insure adhesion of the successive convolutions of the sheet 21, thruout their extent, it is important that a sufficient volume of solvent 27 be maintained in said trough 22, as indicated, to exclude air from the contiguous surfaces.

" The pressure r011 28is mounted for idle roous other said mandrel, clockwise with reference to Fig. I, is effected by the gears 2 and 3 driven by the power shaft 1. When that operation is completed, the mandrel 18 with the tube formed thereon from the sheet 21 may be removed from the machine by the operator withdrawing the tail stock to the left and picking the mandrel out of its engagement with the slot 19 in the head stock 6, and another similar mandrel 18 and sheet 21 may be inserted, and the winding operation re sumed. Y

However, the mechanism above described may, of course, be turned by hand, and variodifications made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of forming a'tube from a primarily plane sheet of celluloid or the like, which includes attaching the forward end of said sheet to a mandrel; mounting said mandrel and sheet for rotation, with the sheet upturned to afford a trough-like receptacle for a solvent between said sheet and mandrel at the junction thereof; supplying a solvent in said receptacle in such quantity as to soften the surface of said sheet at said receptacle; and progressively turning said mandrel and winding said sheet thereon until a tube is formed of the successive evolute convolutions of said sheet adhering to each other.

2. A method as in claim 1; wherein the portion of said sheet which is being wound upon the mandrel is continually pressed toward the latter to insure cohesion of the convolutions of said sheet.

3. Means for making tubes of celluloid and the like from primarily plane sheets of such material, comprisinga rotary head stock having means to rotatably engage one end of.a mandrel; a rotary tail stock having means arranged to engage the opposite end of said mandrel; said tail stock being spring pressed toward said head stock to maintain a mandrel between them; but said tail stock being capable of axial movement away from said head stock to release said mandrel; a pressure roller mounted to rotate in parallel relation with the common axis of said head and tail stocks; means arranged to support said roller in such relation, including a pair of arms,

each having a bearing for said roller and rig idly connected with a rock shaft; frame bearings for said rock shaft; a spring arranged to press said roller toward the axis of said stocks; and means adapted to supply a suitable solvent at the junction of a sheet of celluloid or the like with said mandrel, including a perforated pipe extending parallel with the axis of said head stock above the latter; whereby the successive evolute convolutions of such a sheet wound on such a mandrel are caused to adhere to each other to form a tube.

4. Means for making tubes of celluloid and the like from primarily plane sheets of such material, comprising a rotary head stock having means to rotatably engage one end of a mandrel; a rotary tail stock having means arranged to engage the opposite end of said mandrel; said tail stock being spring pressed toward said head stock to maintain a mandrel between them; but said tail stock being capable of axial movement away from said head stock to release said mandrel; a pressure roller mounted to rotate in parallel relation with the common axis of said head and tail stocks; a springarranged to press said roller toward the axis of said stocks; and means adapted to supply a suitable solvent at the junction of a sheet ofcelluloid or the like with said mandrel, including a perforated pipe extending parallel With the axis of said head stock above the latter; wherebythe successive evolute convolutions of such a sheet wound on such a mandrel are caused to adhere to each other to form a tube.

5. Means for making tubes of celluloid and the like from primarily plane sheets of such material, comprising a rotary mandrel; means arranged to detachably engage said mandrel for-rotation upon a horizontal axis, with a sheet of such material extending obliquely upward from said mandrel; a roller arranged to press said sheet against said mandrel; means adapted to continually maintain said axis stationary and means adapted to supply a suitable solvent at the junction of a sheet of celluloid or the like with said mandrel; whereby the successive evolute convolutions of such a sheet wound on such a mandrel are caused to adhere to each other to form a tube, and the mandrel with the wound sheet thereon may be detached and removed from said solvent supplying means.

6. Means for making tubes of celluloid and thelike from primarily plane sheets of such material, comprising a rotary mandrel; means arranged to detachably engage said mandrel for rotation upon a horizontal axis, with a sheet of such material extending obliquely upward from said mandrel; means arranged to press said sheet against said mandrel; means adapted to continually maintain said axis stationary and means adapted to supply a suitable solvent at the junction of a sheet of celluloid or the like with said mandrel; whereby the successive evolute convolutions of such a sheet wound on such a mandrel are caused to adhere to each other to form a tube, and the mandrel with the wound sheet thereon may be detached and removed from said solvent supplying means.

7. Means for making tubes of celluloid and the like from primarily plane sheets of such material, comprising a rotary mandrel; means arranged to detachably engage said mandrel'for rotation upon a horizontal axis, with "a sheet of such material extending obliquely upward from said mandrel; a roller arranged to press said sheet against said mandrel; and means, including a wick fabric,-adapted to supply a suitable solvent at the junction of a sheet of celluloid or the like with said mandrel; whereby the successive evolute-convolutions of such a sheet wound on such a mandrel are caused to adhere to each other to form a tube, and the mandrel with the wound sheet thereon may be (1 tached and removed from said solvent su plying means.

8. The method of forming a tube from a primarily plane sheet of celluloid or the like, which includes attaching the forward end of said sheet to a mandrel; mounting said mandrel and sheet for rotation, with the sheet upturned to afford a troughlike receptacle for a solvent between said sheet and mandrel at the junction thereof; supplying a solvent in said receptacle in such quantity as to soften the surface of said sheet at said receptacle; and holding said solvent in a wick fabric in said receptacle, while progressively turning said mandrel and winding said sheet thereon until a tube is formed of the successive evolute convolutions of said sheet adhering to each other.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Burlington, New J ersey, this 24th day of December, 1928.

SAMUEL A. N EIDICH. 

